21,72,246 bedroll items, including hand towels, bedsheets, blankets, pillows and pillow covers went missing from air-conditioned coaches during 2017-18 and affluent AC passengers are prime suspects, said a railway official
3.9 lakh sets of linen provided daily — it comprises two bedsheets, a towel, a pillow and a blanket for each passenger in AC classes
What all has gone
12,83,415 hand towels
4,71,077 bedsheets
3,14,952 pillow covers
56,287 pillows
46,515 blankets
Major challenge for railways
While theft of toilet mugs, taps, flush pipes and mirrors are also reported on a regular basis, missing bedroll items in substantial numbers has posed a challenge for the Railways, which is trying to provide better amenities to upper class passengers. In the light of the thefts, the Railways has decided that face towels in AC coaches will be replaced with cheaper, smaller, disposable, takeaway napkins (text: IANS)
